China’s futuristic Chengdu Science Fiction Museum opens by hosting Worldcon

The Chengdu Science Fiction Museum is a futuristic building in Chengdu, China, which opened to host the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) on the 18^th of October.

Chengdu is the capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan province and is currently home to about 20 million people, while the Science Fiction Museum itself appears to be floating on a lake within the broader 4.6-square-kilometer Chengdu Future Science and Technology City site.

Architectural design for the museum was undertaken by Zaha Hadid Architects, and structural engineering design by state-owned China Southwest Architecture Design Institute.

The structure’s roof was designed to appear different from different viewing angles and blend in with the surrounding natural environment through its fluid shape that resembled an expanding nebula cloud with a star at its center.

It is worth noting how equally stunning to the 59,000 square meter building’s design is its project management, as it took about 12 months to construct, according to Zaha Hadid Architects’ project director, Paulo Flores. He also stated that construction commenced just two weeks after the announcement of the competition’s winning design.

Flores also stated how 3D design was implemented in all stages of the project, utilizing various state-of-the-art software.

Detailed digital design also helped maximize composition, site conditions, solar irradiation, and structural efficiency to meet the highest 3-Star standards, according to China’s Green Building Program.

Finally, the building features solar panels on its roof, a hybrid ventilation system, and floor-to-ceiling windows which minimize the need for artificial light.